Method of regenerating lawn surfaces

ABSTRACT

A wheel supported chassis has a motor driving it intermittently across a lawn or turf surface for predetermined distances between cycles, a rotary drilling means drills holes in the turf area while the apparatus is stationary, a collecting platform feeds tubular plugs from an upper elevation to a transport wheel which positions a plug carried in a tubular container over a drilled hole, a cylinder for reciprocating the drilling means also effects pushing of the plug into the drilled hole with the plug being removed from a tubular container and the cycle being repeated as the apparatus traverses a desired work area.

The invention relates to a method for repairing and improving damagedlawn surfaces, in particular of grass sport pitches.

The problem underlying the invention is to return such damaged lawnsurfaces of sport pitches in the shortest possible time so as tocompletely close the damaged surfaces so that only relatively briefinterruptions of play are necessary.

According to the invention this problem is solved in that in the regionof the damaged grass surfaces strong tread-resistant intensive-stock andcorrespondingly regeneratable cultivated lawn grasses are introducedinto the damaged surface in punctiform directed manner at predeterminedintervals in predrilled plant holes.

It has been found that with this method within 4 to 6 weeks the damagedsurface can be returned to a completely closed state and simultaneouslythe resistance of the damaged surface to mechanical stressing isconsiderably improved. By the punctiform directed sowing or planting ofspecial types of lawn grasses the hardwearing properties are improvedcompared with the original properties and thus the resistance of thepitch and possible playing frequency substantially enhanced.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.According to a first embodiment of the invention for the regeneration ofsmall surfaces for manual operation an earth borer slidable in a guidetube is provided which during the drilling operation is supported bymeans of a bottom plate connected to the guide tube, and for moreconvenient manipulatiion an extension tube may be provided into theupper end of which a drilling machine may be inserted and which guides adrilling spindle extension. To facilitate the return operation returnsprings may be provided for the earth borer. The plant tubes may beintroduced directly into the hole thus predrilled by means of apiston-like tool. The holes may conveniently be arranged with suchmanual operation at predetermined mutual intervals using hole templates.

To work larger surfaces, according to a further development of theinvention a travelling apparatus is provided which is characterized inthat on a chassis with interval drive in one or multi-row working arraydrilling or punching tools bore or punch holes in the lawn support layerby a mechanical pressure means to which via an automatic feed meansplant tubes with pregrown individual plants are led and the individualplants pushed by means of a pressure ram through the plant tubes intothe plant holes.

According to the invention, in the apparatus further means are providedwhich fill the drilled holes selectively with plants and/orsoil-improving materials. The invention is accordingly based on theknowledge that the module-like construction of the planting machinepermits the extended use thereof as aerification machine. In thismanner, in the predrilled holes sand, turf and fertilizer mixtures maybe introduced. The introduction can be via small tubes as in theapparatus for inserting plants. All that is necessary is to replace thetubes filled with plants by tubes with other fillings, the operationremains the same.

A simpler and more economical operation is however achieved if the holesthus predrilled are filled with bulk material, and the material can bepressed from a box and proportioning chambers into the holes.

Further developments of the planting machine constructed according tothe invention and of the aerification and filling machine can be seen inthe subsidiary claims. Hereinafter samples of embodiment of theinvention will be described with the aid of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a planting and filling machinecomprising the preferred embodiment for practice of this invention withparts removed for clarity of illustration and illustrating motor andpiston drive means pivoted to a dashed outline inoperative positionassumed during movement of the machine from one location to another;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the machine according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the magazine for the empty filling tubesshowing the magazine in phantom outline in its empty position and insolid outline in its full position;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the magazine of the full tubes;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a filling tube;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1 of a modifiedembodiment for practice of the invention with parts removed for the sakeof clarity and illustrating a motor and piston drive assembly in adashed outline in an inoperative position assumed during movement of thedevice from one work location to another;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the apparatus according to FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view of the empties magazine corresponding to FIG. 3 showingthe magazine in phantom outline in its empty position and in solidoutline in its full position;

FIG. 9 is a detail of the transmissiion mechanism;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the drilling and injection unit of theembodiment of FIG. 6 comprising a sectional view thereof taken in avertical plane;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the drilling and injection unit of theembodiment of FIG. 1 taken in a vertical bisecting section through thedrilling and injection unit;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line X--X of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line XIII--XIII of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along line XIV--XIV of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 15 to 18 show different interval possibilities of the machineaccording to FIG. 6;

FIGS. 19-22 schematically show means for achieving different intervalpossibilities of the machine according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is a side view corresponding to FIGS. 1 and 6 of a furtherembodiment of the apparatus;

FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 23 withportions sectionally removed to illustrate internal components;

FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 23 withportions sectionally removed for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 26 is a detail view of the control valve of the proportioningchambers;

FIG. 27 is a partial view of the vibration damper construction.

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of a detail of a plant tube with soilsubstrate;

FIG. 29 is a bisecting sectional view of a plant tube includingpre-grown individual plants.

FIG. 30 is a schematic view of a plant box having a side wall brokenaway for illustration of the interior construction according to theinvention;

FIG. 31 is a schematic view of a drilling device suitable forsemi-manaul operation;

FIG. 32 is a view of the special earth borer used in the apparatusaccording to FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is a sectional view taken along lines XXXIII--XXXIII of FIG. 31.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a fully automatically operatingplanting machine. To obtain fully automatic operation adjusting motorsare provided for carrying out the necessary movement cycles. The motor 1effects the intermittent advance of the machine intermittently operatedclutch drive means to wheels supporting the machine on the work surface.The motor 2 turns the drilling spindle. The gear motor 3 serves as drivefor the conveying means. A piston drive 4 effects an axial displacementof the drilling spindle. A further piston drive 5 effects in theapparatus according to FIG. 1 the ejection of the plants into thepredrilled holes. For the rotary drive servomotors or stepping motorscan be used whilst the reciprocal movements are performed with pneumaticor hydraulic piston drives or linear motors.

The apparatus comprises a control panel 6 on a machine frame 7. Thecontrol panel is programmable by means of a corresponding coding device8. Each working step can however also be called up manually via handswitches 9.

The machine frame 7 has thereover a support bracket 10 which carries thedrill units. The machine brings the filled plant tubes 11 up to theplanting station 12 and the emptied tubes 13 are automatically conveyedinto an empties magazine 14 which is initially in the phantom outlineposition of FIGS. 3 and 8 when empty but which is progressively moved tothe right to the solid line position of the same figures as they achievea filled condition.

The planting machine according to the example of embodiment of FIGS. 1and 2 corresponds to the planting machine according to FIG. 8. In thiscase, a hole 15 is first drilled by means of a drill and after thedrilling the machine is advanced by the distance a. This intervalcorresponds to the axis spacing between the drilling unit and theejection unit. The ram 16 of the ejecting unit presses the plant 18 intothe predrilled hole.

In the example of embodiment according to FIGS. 6 and 7 the drilling andejection is carried out with the same unit. After the drilling thespindle 19 is stopped and the drill 20 run out via the intervaltransport wheel 21 so that the drilling head in the same axis above thehole 12 can press down the plant 23 supplied. In contrast to the machineaccording to FIGS. 1 and 2 this apparatus according to FIGS. 6 and 7does not require a preprogramme and both forward and rearward operationare possible.

As travelling gear, in all examples of embodiment four wheels 24 aremounted in the machine frame 7 and are driven intermittently by indexingdrive means including an indexing drive or advancing motor 1. For torquetransfer from the motor 1 to the wheels 24 according to the example ofembodiment a worm gear 25 as shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, a clutchmeans, which is not illustrated, is provided for driving the worm gearin a well-known manner.

In operation the motor 1 operates as stepping motor and advancesstepwise by the distance a which in the example of embodiment accordingto FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds exactly to the axis spacing between thedrill 20 and ram 16. In the machine according to FIGS. 6 and 7 a is anadjustable variable.

The control commands to the different drive motors may be fed in by theoperator 6 manually via the switches 9 or via a control programme 8.

To bring the machine into the working position a forwardly projectingguide bar 27 is lifted until a manoeuvring wheel 28 mounted rearwardlyin the machine frame carries the entire weight of the machine and thewheels 24 are relieved. The machine can now be turned and manoeuvred.

It is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 7, that the apparatus comprises fiveworking units adjacent each other so that in each case five rows ofholes can be charged automatically. To permit simpler displacement ofthe machine perpendicularly to the planting direction through oneworking width an additional travelling gear may be provided comprisingfour simultaneously driven wheels offset by 90° for natural movement(not illustrated in the drawings). Alternatively, the wheels may besteerable. The motor 2 of the drilling machine is connected to theextendable piston of the piston drive 4 which is suspended on thesupport bracket 10 via a pivot pin 29. This pivot mounting facilitatesthe pivoting of the unit to the dotted line position of FIG. 6 to permitthe replacement and maintenance of the drills 20. The drills 20 comprisea drill head 22 and a drill shank 30 which may be clamped into a drillchuck 31. Near the drill head the shank is mounted in a guide bush 32which is mounted in a bottom beam 33 of the machine frame 7 and securedby means of clips 34 in the axial and radial direction. The clip 34 ismounted by a securing pin 35 and secured by a rapid fastener 36. Theradial and axial forces which occur in the drilling operation aretransmitted via the pivot pin 29 and the claws 37 carrying it to thesupport bracket.

The conducting of the plant tubes 11 from a collecting platform 38 tothe planting station 12 and then to the empties magazine 14 is by meansof a transport system which will be described in detail hereinafter.

The magazine boxes equipped with filled plant tubes 11 are placed on thecollecting platform and discharged, corresponding to the emptiesmagazine box 14. The cover of the box which is fixedly connected to oneside wall is removed upwardly. The plant tubes slip vertically to theplatform 38 against a conveyor belt 39 disposed at the lower dischargeend which is stabilized by a rearwardly attached support board 40. Themoving endless conveyor belt 39 presses the plant tubes 41 against arun-on roller 42 disposed laterally at the discharge end. From here, thetube passes to the entry end of a downwardly leading feed hose 43.Run-on rollers 42 and feed hoses 43 are provided in identical number atthe discharge end of the collecting platform 38 to the drill spindlesand interval transport wheels 21. By the movement of the conveyor belt39 and the separating effect of the run-on rollers a bridge formation ofthe plant tubes is prevented. Through the feed hose 43 the plant tube11, 41 pass under the action of gravity into the interval transportwheel 21 which is driven by the motor 3 via a worm gear 44.

The mode of operation of the interval transport wheel 21 will bedescribed hereinafter in conjunction with FIGS. 12 to 22. The purpose ofsaid transport wheel 21 is to convey the plant tube delivered via thefeed hose 43 by rotation into the transport channel.

In the machine according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the transport wheel comprisesa drive shaft 45 (FIG. 11) and the transport wheel consists of an upperdisc 46 and a lower disc 47 between which a deflection tongue 48 isdisposed. The functional form of the transport discs corresponds to theillustrations of FIGS. 19 to 22. In the entrance position 49 (FIGS. 13and 14) a plant tube 11 projects slightly beyond the upper edge of thetransport disc 46. On rotating the discs 46, 47 the next successive tubefollows up. Via the transport discs the plant tube is rotated into theplanting postion 50. As apparent from FIG. 13 the transport discs 46, 47may comprise individual guide rollers 51 which are carried rotatably byupper and lower metal retaining plates 52. This roller arrangementgreatly reduces the friction within the interval wheel housing 53. Anarresting spring 54 (FIG. 14) locates the tube to be planted exactlyabove the planting location 50 so that the ram 16 can press the plantinto the predrilled hole. On the next interval step the empty plant tubeis inserted along the deflection tongue 48 into the transport channel65.

The mode of operation of the apparatus according to FIGS. 6 and 7 willbe explained hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 10 and 12. The torqueinitiation is by a spur wheel 55 which corresponding to the workingintervals comprises at its top side holes for the introduction of theplant tubes 11 and for the drill rams 22/16. FIGS. 15 to 18 showdifferent transport 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d which are illustrated inphantom schematically and which provide different interval possibilitiesof this apparatus. FIGS. 19 through 22 respectively illustrate otherintegral variation achieving wheels 21f, 21g, 21h and 21i presentingdifferent interval capability.

The transport wheel forms in this case a fixed unit with the drive spurwheel 55 and an upper disc 56 as well as a lower disc 57 each mounted ona plug shaft. When the plant tube enters the interval housing it firstreaches the entrance plane 60 of the housing bottom. On rotation of thetube 16 to the planting location 61 the movement is effected via aninclined plane 62 to the exit plane 63, the plant tube thereby passingbeneath the rear of the drive spur wheel 55 and being conveyed fromthere unrestrictedly during the next transport interval along thedeflection tongue 48 into the transport channel 65. The latter ismounted on the machine frame. On continuous pressing in of empty tubesthe magazine 14 becomes uniformly filled with empties, the empty tubesstanding perpendicularly and pushing the magazine forwardly up to alimit switch which stops the machine or supplies a signal when themagazine is to be replaced.

The exit 66 of the transport channel 65 is blocked by a spring clip sothat the empty tubes cannot drop out when the magazine is removed. Themagazine filled with empty tubes can be closed with a cover and madeready for the next charge.

Above, the machines illustrated in the drawings have been described intheir function as planting machines. These planting machines may howeveralso be used to fill the predrilled holes with soil-improving materials,for example with sand, turf and fertilizer mixtures. This does notchange their function. The only difference is that in this casemagazines are used with tubes which are not filled with plants but withcorresponding materials. If a large number of holes are to be filledwith soil-improving materials instead of plants, it is advisable to fillthe holes with bulk material instead of employing plant tubes. For thispurpose, the machine according to FIGS. 1 or 6 can be modified in themanner shown in FIGS. 23 to 27, and the machine may be selectivelyadapted for planting and for filling holes with bulk material. In itsbasic construction the machine according to FIGS. 23 to 27 correspondsto the machines according to FIGS. 1 and 6. For this reason, the partsalready described with the aid of the latter Figures need not beexplained again.

Instead of the press-in ram 16 in the machine according to FIG. 1,according to FIG. 23 at this point a proportioning chamber 146 isprovided which is charged from a bulk material box 140 which is mountedon the machine frame 7 via shock-absorbing elements according to FIG.27. The front wall 141 and the rear wall 142 converge in funnel-likemanner in the lower portion and form at their joint a radius whichcorresponds to the conveying screw 144 disposed with horizontal axis.Said screw serves to press the bulk material 145 disposed in the box 140into the proportioning chambers 146. The shaft 147 of the screw 144 ismounted on both sides in the box 140 by bearings 148. The necessarytorque for returning the screw 144 is provided by the motor 3 via aV-belt 161.

Screw elements are mounted on the shaft 147 of the feed screw 144 insuch a manner that in each case adjacent the entrance opening 149 to theproportioning chamber 146 there is a left and right-threaded screwelement 150 and 151 respectively. The proportioning chamber 146 has atthe top an entrance opening and at the bottom an exit opening 152 whichmay be opened and closed by separate control valves 153 and 154. Thevolume of the proportioning chamber 146 corresponds to the volume of thedrilled hole 12 which is to be filled. The form of the chambercorresponds to a truncated cone having the greater diameter at the exitopening 152. The conical form of the chamber is intended to preventsticking of wet material. The control of the valves 153 and 154 and thescrew 144 may be either by hand or by programme control. It should beensured that the entrance opening 149 and exit opening 152 are neversimultaneously opened, to prevent the material 145 flowing out.

The distance between the drill axis 20 and the proportioning chamberaxis 46 again corresponds to the advance distance a which can be changedby adjusting the setdown points 155 of the box 140. This displacement ofthe box 140 may be carried out infinitely variably by a guide spindleprovided with a hand crank 156. A further possibility is a stepwiseadjustment, the box being raised to engage in predetermined detentpoints. Prior to adjusting the box 140 the connecting element 157 shouldbe loosened.

To avoid bridge formations of the material 145 in the box 140 a vibratormay be disposed on the box outer wall. The highly inclined rear wall 142then acts as chute so that wet material can also reach the screw 144.The set-down points 155 are provided with oscillating and dampingmembers according to FIG. 27 so that troublesome vibrations are nottransmitted to the drilling mechanism or travelling gear.

To clean the drilling field a sweeping machine 158 may follow thefilling station. This machine may move the collecting earth intoseparate containers 160 by means of a sweeping plate 159, a suitablyconstructed sensor switching the machine off or emitting a signal whenthe box is full. If the soil remaining on the ground is to be uniformlydistributed the container 160 may be removed and the sweeping roller 158ensures uniform distribution.

FIGS. 28 - 30 illustrate the growth in the plant tubes 11 which areworked with the machines described above.

In special plant tubes 10, for example of plastic material, a soilsubstrate is introduced which ensures the optimum conditions for thedevelopment of the grass plants and guarantees that the plant can fullydevelop in said tube within 4 to 6 weeks and the roots completely growthrough the plant tube and the soil substrate disposed therein.

The plant tubes 11 filled with soil substrate and seed or clones (=plant parts from which new plants develop) are grown in cultivationboxes 14' whose bottom 16' is provided with perforations so that amoisture bridge is established between the soil substrate dispersed inthe plant tube and the surface carrying the box 14' through theperforations.

The plant holes are filled in the case of generative reproduction withseed and in the case of vegetative reproduction via clones (= vegetativeplant parts) in magazines, with seed or clones being added to part ofthe plant substrate.

To plant the grown individual plants (FIG. 29) holes adapted exactly indiameter and in depth to the dimensions of the plant tubes must bebored. This can be done completely automatically by the apparatusdescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 27. For small areas and forgarden operation the semi-automatic apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 31 to33 may be used.

The drill illustrated in FIG. 31 comprises as drive a conventionalmains-operated drill 18' which via a tube extension 20' carries anextended spindle 22' and a mounting 24' attached at the lower end of thetube which carries the extended spindle 22'. The spindle 22' carries adrill chuck 26' into which a special earth borer 28' (FIG. 32) isclamped. The drill unit is supported on the ground via a bottom platewith tube support 30' via spring members 32' which are disposed in starform (FIG. 33).

Due to the pressure exerted on the drill 18' the borer 28' moves throughthe tube support 30' of the bottom plate into the ground and is limitedin its penetration via a pin 34' which is vertically adjustable via aclamping screw and which impinges on the base plate.

We claim:
 1. A method for regenerating lawn surfaces comprising thesteps of providing a plurality of tubular turf plugs of cylindricalconfiguration on a wheeled vehicle capable of movement across the lawnsurface to be regenerated, causing said vehicle to move forward acrosssaid lawn surface for a desired distance, stopping said vehicle,actuating rotary drill means on said vehicle for drilling a first groupof holes in the lawn while said vehicle is stopped, causing said vehicleto move forward said desired distance, stopping said vehicle andactuating said rotary drill means on said vehicle to drill a secondgroup of holes in said lawn surface while simultaneously actuating pluginserting means for inserting tubular turf plugs in said first group ofholes and completing treatment of the lawn surface by successivelyrepeating the steps of moving the vehicle said desired distance,stopping the vehicle and drilling additional groups of holes whilesimultaneously actuating the plug inserting means for inserting turfplugs in the group of holes drilled in during the next preceedingdrilling operation.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said rotary drillmeans is actuated to drill groups of holes in linear alignment in twodirections.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plug inserting meansis actuated to simultaneously insert turf plugs in all holes of thegroup of holes drilled during the next preceeding stopped movement ofsaid vehicle.